Interchangeable adjustable book-lock.



No. 662,700. Patented Nov. 27, I900.

. J. W. SHEPPARD.

INTERGHANGEABLE ADJUSTABLE BUOK LOCK.

(Application filed June 13, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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JosEPH w. SHEPPARD,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

lNTERCHANGEABLE ADJUSTABLE BOOK-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,700, dated November 27, 1900'.

Serial No. 20,131. (No modeLl To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. SHEPPARD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Interchangeable Adjustable Book Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates especially to the con struction and arrangement of locks for books, and has for its object the provision of an interchangeable lock that shall be adjustable to books of different thicknesses, firmly locking their covers together, so that their contents will be as secure from undesirable scrutiny as though the book wherewith the lock is employed was placed within a safe.

To attain the desired end, my invention consists, essentially, in a lock-body havinga fixed and a movable jaw, said jaws being pro vided with holding-surfaces, the bolt of the lock being arranged to adjustably engage a catch-piece upon the movable jaw, all of which will be hereinafter first fully described and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a plan view of the front of a lock embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the lock reversed in position from Fig. 1, the jaws being open. Fig. 3 illustrates the lock as secured to the cover of a book.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

1 is the front plate of the lock, having a portion out out, leaving projecting arms 2 and a cross-bar 3 at the outer extremities of the arms. This cross-bar is serrated or corrugated or provided with a corrugated rubber face 4.

5 is a bar hinged to the body of the look at 6 and having at its outer extremity a crossbar 7, corresponding to the cross-bar 3, and a corrugated face 8, corresponding to the face 4.

9 is a serrated block securely fastened to or formed with the bar 5.

10 is the bolt of the lock, the face whereof is serrated the same as the block 9.

12 is the keyhole of the lock, the interior parts whereof may be arranged at pleasure, as they form no part of my invention.

In applying my invention to use a book, such as ll, is placed between the jaws, said jaws being pressed together thereon by the fingers, and when the serrated bolt 10 is forced outward by turning the key in the lock the serrations thereon engage the serrations in the block 9, drawing the jaws more tightly together, thus firmly securing the lock to the book.

Memorandum-books, check-books,ledgers, &c., are sometimes made with a permanent lock secured to the covers. Such lock is often in the way in handling and using such books. Also the book may only be needed at intervals when an extra important matter is being recorded therein. In my invention the lock is made separable from the covers of the book and in no way permanently attached thereto. It does not, therefore, cause inconvenience to the userof the book at any time, and while being adjustable to books of varied thicknesses need not be applied to the book excepting when occasion requires.

My invention gives great security to those who having books of memoranda it is desired to keep private yet possess no safe to protect their books from the inspection of the curious, and it allows the book to be exposed on the desk or table yet safe from scrutiny.

Having now fully described myinvention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is"

1. An interchangeable, adjustable booklock in which are comprised alock-body having a fixed jaw and a movable jaw, said jaws being provided with holding-surfaces, the bolt of the lock being arranged to adjustably engage a catch-piece upon the movable jaw accommodating the lock to different thick nesses of books, and means for locking the jaws in different positions.

2. In a lock of the character herein specified, a body having grasping and holding jaws, in combination with means for locking the jaws in different closed positions.

3. An interchangeable, adjustable booklock in which are comprised a lock-body provided with a serrated bolt, a fixed jaw having a graspingsurface; a movable jaw having a grasping-surface and a holding-block serrated correspondingly to the lock-bolt and means for locking said jaws in place.

Signed by me at New York, N. Y., this 12th day of June, 1900.

JOSEPH IV. SHEPPARD.

Witnesses:

A. M. PIERCE, S. S. BRADSHAW. 

